Front Lever

How to do it

Hang from a pull-up bar or rings with an overhand grip. Engage your shoulders and core, then raise your legs and torso together in front of you until your body is parallel to the ground, facing up. Keep your arms straight and body in a tight line by squeezing your glutes and pressing through your lats. Hold the position for the allotted time, then lower yourself back to a dead hang under control.

1. 1Engage your lats and core to lift your body until it forms a straight line; you should feel full-body tension
2. 2Keep your arms straight and shoulder blades depressed so you feel your upper back and shoulders working together
3. 3Maintain a posterior pelvic tilt by squeezing your glutes to keep your hips from sagging

Common mistakes

• ×Don't let your hips droop or your body arch, strive for a straight line from head to toe
• ×Avoid bending your elbows or shrugging your shoulders toward your ears
• ×Don't strain your neck; keep your head in line with your spine

Muscles worked

The front lever mainly works the upper abs and lower abs, with the obliques and glutes assisting.

• Upper AbsPrimary
• Lower AbsPrimary
• ObliquesSupport
• GlutesSupport
• QuadsMinor